Celebrating Bordeaux this September
This September we invite you to celebrate Bordeaux with us — to savour its classics, discover its modern expressions, and be reminded why this remarkable region continues to matter.
Alongside the names of the Médoc and Saint-Émilion, there are wines of freshness, lift, and surprising delicacy; whites and sparkling wines that challenge expectations; appellations once overlooked now humming with new energy. Bordeaux today is both a guardian of tradition and a region alive with reinvention as winemaking is becoming more daring, and sustainability is shaping the future.
On offer this moth
When we visited Château Haut Peyrat in June, we were welcomed by Didier Gil and his son Emmanuel into what can only be described as a breathtaking estate. Perched high on a hill in Cadillac, Entre-deux-Mers, the château had fallen into disrepair before Isabelle and Didier bought it in 2014. Over the past decade they’ve completely transformed it — from the elegant, renovated château to the sloping vineyards that Didier fondly calls “a little Tuscany.” There we tasted vintages of their two wines: the vibrant, fruit-driven Prélude (supple, juicy, and immediate) and the more traditional Haut Peyrat (structured, classic claret built for ageing).
Today, 20 hectares of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot are farmed with sustainability at the core, earning HVE Level 4 certification. With vine wood fuelling the château, rainwater collected for the gardens, and bees and sheep enriching the land, Haut Peyrat feels as alive as the wines themselves. We’re absolutely chuffed to have discovered them — and after tasting on site, we were hugely impressed with just how good these wines are drinking right now.
Château Haut Pougnan Rouge, Bordeaux
Here at Old Chapel Cellars we import directly from the family run business of Château Haut Pougnan for 12 years. Situated in the heart of Entre-Deux-Mers, meaning between two tides, you will find Château Haut Pougnan to the right of River Garonne. This area is surrounded by beautiful calcareous and clay-limestone/gravelly soils. It is the clay-limestone nature of these soils which makes it possible to obtain very fine wines with such subtle aromas.
The estate is currently run by Jean Bernard, whose family has been involved since the first harvest in 1852, when only two barrels were produced without modern amenities like electricity, water, or tractors. Electricity was not introduced until 1934. The vineyard, which started with just one hectare, has since grown to 40 hectares—27 hectares dedicated to red grape varieties and 13 to white. The estate operates with a small team of just four full-time members, including Jean Bernard. The estate has been HVE certified since 2021, a reflection of his ongoing commitment to sustainable farming.
At the moment we’re pouring the Rouge 2020, a vintage that shows all the ripeness and balance of a warm, generous year. We’ll be skipping the 2021 due to a smaller yield and moving straight to the Rouge 2022, which we had the chance to taste during our visit. Smooth and elegant, it carries vibrant bramble fruit, classic hedgerow character, and a touch of spice — a beautiful expression of Entre-deux-Mers and a testament to Jean Bernard’s steady hand in both vineyard and cellar. Vegan-friendly and has low sulfur too.
Château Cantemerle – 5ème Cru Classé, Haut-Médoc
Visiting Château Cantemerle this summer was a reminder of just how special Bordeaux’s great estates can be. Part of the 1855 Classification as a 5th Growth, Cantemerle carries over a thousand years of history yet feels anything but static. Remarkably, in all that time it has had only five different owners — each leaving their mark but preserving the château’s enduring spirit.
The property today spans 200 hectares, with half given over to 100 hectares of vines and the other half to beautiful parkland and ancient trees. Walking the grounds, there’s a sense of timelessness: a balance between cultivated vineyard rows and the natural landscape that frames them. It’s an estate that breathes history and elegance in equal measure.
Today, Cantemerle produces around 400,000 bottles of its grand vin annually, along with 160,000 bottles of its second wine, Les Allées de Cantemerle. The 2015 Grand Vin is 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. It represents exceptional value among classified growths—powerful yet polished, it’s built to mature gracefully for years to come.
Château Tronquoy-Lalande – Saint-Estèphe
Located in the heart of Saint-Estèphe, Château Tronquoy-Lalande is one of the appellation’s oldest estates, with roots in the 18th century. Named after its first owner, François Tronquoy, the property is centred around a striking white-stone château designed by Victor Louis, architect of Bordeaux’s Grand Théâtre.
After changing hands over the centuries, the estate began a new chapter in 2006, when Martin and Olivier Bouygues took ownership and invested heavily in modernisation. By 2010, a state-of-the-art vat house and barrel hall stood alongside its 30 hectares of historic vineyards, setting the stage for Tronquoy’s next era.
The gravel-and-clay soils, perched 23 metres above sea level and regulated by the Gironde estuary, provide both excellent drainage and water retention, producing ripe yet balanced fruit.
Château Grandis - Haut-Médoc
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